According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, the Chosun Ilbo, and the Hankyoreh on July 13th, the Korean Medical Student Association (KMSA), representing students from medical schools and graduate programs, jointly issued a statement on July 12th with the National Assembly’s Education Committee, the Health and Welfare Committee, and the Korean Medical Association. This statement, titled “Joint Declaration for the Normalization of Medical Education,” announced the collective return to classes of medical students. The declaration further demands that the government swiftly restore normal teaching arrangements, establish a tripartite consultation mechanism, fully compensate for medical losses incurred due to policy failures of the previous administration, and focus on improving the long-term medical education and internship environment.
On July 13, 2024, Seoul, South Korea, a medical school established a consultation center for returning medical students. (Visual China)
In a statement, student groups indicated that the decision to resume classes aims to break the deadlock between medical professionals and the government, and to restore medical education and the public healthcare system to normalcy. The statement sharply criticized the previous administration under President Yoon Suk-yeol for unilaterally and forcibly pushing forward a policy to expand medical school enrollment without achieving a social consensus, thus plunging Korea’s healthcare system into crisis. The medical students stated that, out of trust in the National Assembly and the new government, they have chosen to return to their studies to contribute to the repair of the education system and the healthcare system. It is noteworthy that this is the first time the student groups have expressed their intention to return to school without presenting specific demands. On July 13th, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok posted on social media expressing his relief at the medical students’ return to school, calling it “important and welcome progress,” and pledging that the government would actively pursue relevant negotiations.
The mass leave of absence by South Korean medical students began in February 2024, triggered by the previous government’s announcement to increase medical school enrollment from 3,058 to 5,058 students starting in the 2025 academic year. This measure sparked widespread protests, affecting 40 medical schools nationwide and severely disrupting the educational order. According to data released by the South Korean Ministry of Education in May, of the approximately 19,500 registered medical students nationwide, 8,305 faced the risk of failing due to excessive absences. In fact, before the medical students announced their return to school, President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 3rd of this month that, with the new government’s assumption of office, the medical community’s distrust of the government has eased, and the government will actively create conditions to facilitate the gradual return of medical students and interns.
Yonhap News Agency reported that the resumption of medical student classes is also seen as an opportunity to encourage the return of interns and resident physicians. In 2024, a large number of interns resigned simultaneously with medical students, and most remain out of work. This is particularly acute in fundamental medical fields such as internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics, which have long faced staff shortages. It is understood that follow-up arrangements regarding the return of medical students and resident physicians are expected to gradually unfold later this month, around the time of the Minister of Health and Welfare’s confirmation hearing and before the launch of resident training position recruitment in the latter half of the year.